After Business Phones, Lava now Aims to enter Smartphone and tablet segments. And The Logic comes straight from S. N. Rai, Co- Founder & Director, Lava, who believes that Handsets will soon become Infotainment Gadgets
Some say it’s the new kid on the block, yet within 18 months of its inception, Lava International has shifted the rug from under many a player and made its presence felt in a huge way in the Indian handset sector. In fact, in a sector earlier dominated by MNCs, Lava has ensured that today, an Indian brand cuts as much ice with the consumers as any other brand. After making an entry into the business phones segment recently, Lava is now all set to add Tablets, Android, 3G Smartphones to its offerings by the October this year. Eying convergence on the handsets, the Delhi-based handset maker is also planning to take Apple and Nokia head on with the launch of its application stores in the near future. By then, as founder S. N. Rai tells 4Ps B&M in an exclusive interview, the company expects to be present in 36 more countries. A strategic treatise follows:
You have entered the segment of business phones in the recent past. What’s next from your stable?
Well, Lava has recently launched its much-awaited business phones and it is getting an overwhelming response. With this, now we have 24 handset models with price tags ranging from Rs.1,200 to Rs.6,000. Now, our target is the smartphone segment, and we are expecting to launch it in the first quarter of the next fiscal. Currently, smartphones are growing at a good pace in both India and abroad. Tablets would be the other addition the coming year. Besides, we would also be launching 3G and Android-based phones later this year. By the end of 2012, we are planning to capture 10% of the handset market share in India and 1% globally. Lava will soon expand its global foot prints to 40 countries from four.
Mobile phone penetration in urban India has already gone past the 100% mark. Keeping that in mind, how exciting is the Tier II and semi-urban cities in terms of business opportunities? What are your plans to tap this market?
We think Tier II cities along with rural and semi-urban have a huge growth potential. Mobile service penetration is less than 30% in these areas. But this market is evolving very fast, more so for the fact that it’s a market of basic and multimedia phones. Also, we are strengthening our distribution network, so that our product is available to the maximum number of buyers. The aim is to take the retail presence to 1.5 lakh outlets from 50,000. Within a year, we would add another 700 distributors to our existing 1,000. On the other hand, in urban areas, we would see people upgrading to smartphones from basic and multimedia phones.
For more articles, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2011.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
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Some say it’s the new kid on the block, yet within 18 months of its inception, Lava International has shifted the rug from under many a player and made its presence felt in a huge way in the Indian handset sector. In fact, in a sector earlier dominated by MNCs, Lava has ensured that today, an Indian brand cuts as much ice with the consumers as any other brand. After making an entry into the business phones segment recently, Lava is now all set to add Tablets, Android, 3G Smartphones to its offerings by the October this year. Eying convergence on the handsets, the Delhi-based handset maker is also planning to take Apple and Nokia head on with the launch of its application stores in the near future. By then, as founder S. N. Rai tells 4Ps B&M in an exclusive interview, the company expects to be present in 36 more countries. A strategic treatise follows:
You have entered the segment of business phones in the recent past. What’s next from your stable?
Well, Lava has recently launched its much-awaited business phones and it is getting an overwhelming response. With this, now we have 24 handset models with price tags ranging from Rs.1,200 to Rs.6,000. Now, our target is the smartphone segment, and we are expecting to launch it in the first quarter of the next fiscal. Currently, smartphones are growing at a good pace in both India and abroad. Tablets would be the other addition the coming year. Besides, we would also be launching 3G and Android-based phones later this year. By the end of 2012, we are planning to capture 10% of the handset market share in India and 1% globally. Lava will soon expand its global foot prints to 40 countries from four.
Mobile phone penetration in urban India has already gone past the 100% mark. Keeping that in mind, how exciting is the Tier II and semi-urban cities in terms of business opportunities? What are your plans to tap this market?
We think Tier II cities along with rural and semi-urban have a huge growth potential. Mobile service penetration is less than 30% in these areas. But this market is evolving very fast, more so for the fact that it’s a market of basic and multimedia phones. Also, we are strengthening our distribution network, so that our product is available to the maximum number of buyers. The aim is to take the retail presence to 1.5 lakh outlets from 50,000. Within a year, we would add another 700 distributors to our existing 1,000. On the other hand, in urban areas, we would see people upgrading to smartphones from basic and multimedia phones.
For more articles, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2011.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Best B School India
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
IIPM in the league of best management institutes of India.....
IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism
Arindam Chaudhuri: We need Hazare's leadership
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
